Four named Employees of the Year at Texas A&M-Kingsville

Four members of the staff at Texas A&M University-Kingsville recently received the Employee of the Year award for their categories. They are given by Staff Council and are the highest honors available to staff members at the university.

Award winners were Cristina Suarez-Machuca, professional and technical; Marty Bowyer, secretary and clerical; Larry Lomas, service and crafts; and Alfredo Longoria, Citrus Center.

About Cristina Suarez-Machuca

Suarez-Machuca is the costumer and academic advisor for the communications and theatre arts department. She has worked for the university for 21 years and she was nominated by Ilda Ruiz, administrative assistant for the department.

Ruiz says of Suarez-Machuca, “Cristina is a role model for our students, faculty and staff. She goes far beyond her duties. She not only advises our students, she makes sure those students go to class, do their work and makes sure their GPAs are what they should be.”

Suarez-Machuca tutors students in her spare time at no charge, Ruiz continues. She also assists faculty taking over their classes as needed. She is costumer for at least seven communications and theatre arts productions per year plus musicals produced by the music department. She also teaches a Spanish class for the language and literature department.

Personally, she is the first in her family to earn a bachelor’s degree and is now pursuing a master’s degree in Spanish. She is a member of LULAC, the Spanish Club-Sigma Delta Pi, the Student Organization Funding Committee and the American Advertising Federation.

In her spare time, she helps out the University Police Department by sewing patches on their uniforms, judges UIL events and tutors Riviera High School students.

About Marty Bowyer

Bowyer is the office manager for Student Health and Wellness. She has worked at the university three years and was nominated by Dr. Dianne Brown, Student Health and Wellness director.

Brown said, “Marty is an excellent role model for a diverse group of individuals, students, staff and community members. She has high professional and ethical standards and is conscientious about her work and how it represents not only the department but also the university.”

“She uses excellent customer service in all that she does from dealing with employee conflicts to student complaints to outside vendors,” Brown said. “She is innovative and has implemented many processes that enhance customer service by the training program she had developed for student employees. She was outstanding in her performance during our internal audit in the fall. She always keeps her composure and maintains her professionalism even when faced with difficult situations.”

Bowyer is involved in campus activities and the first to sign up for additional training offered to enhance her skills and knowledge of university procedures. She is an active participant in the JAG committee and supports Tropical Temptations, the Health Expo, Student Affairs division-wide meetings, Relay for Life and much more.

Within the community, Bowyer is involved in the Palmer Drug Abuse Program, the Ricardo Fun Fest, Farm Bureau membership meetings and Leadership Kingsville. She also is an ambassador for the Chamber of Commerce.

About Larry Lomas

Lomas is the Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) supervisor for the physical plant. He has been employed at the university for 14 years and was nominated by Silver Chapa, utilities superintendent.

“Larry oversees the HVAC for the whole campus,” Chapa said. “He is very helpful to all and he understands and accepts the huge responsibility that his position requires.

“Larry is one of the hardest workers we have at the physical plant. His knowledge of the campus HVAC system is vast and he keeps it operating at peak condition,” Chapa said. Lomas also oversees the campus drinking water system.

About Alfredo Longoria

Longoria is farm foreman at the Citrus Center in Weslaco. He has been employed there for 30 years and was nominated by Dr. John da Graca, center director.

“He was promoted to farm foreman in 2010 and has performed extremely well in building up the team spirit among farm and nursery crew and improving orchard care at the Citrus Center,” da Graca said.

Longoria has been proactive in addressing orchard maintenance, including pest control, irrigation needs and more; has established close communication between his supervisor, faculty, staff and graduate students who conduct research in the orchards; and seeks advice from faculty on orchard care.